Let’s face it. When shaving or doing hair removal treatments such as waxing or sugaring, ingrown hairs are a risk and not very fun to deal with. Use these five tips to avoid ingrown hairs.
Why do we get ingrown hairs? Let’s talk about the science behind hair removal. Sometimes there can be a build-up of dead skin that clogs the hair follicle and sometimes ingrown hairs can occur because we are removing the hairs against the hair growth (waxing). Sugaring generally is better for hair removal because it removes the hair in the direction of hair growth. With that said, sometimes it naturally occurs because the hair is curly and course. When the hair grows back, it can grow sideways causing an ingrown pustule. Follow these five simple tips to decrease the likelihood of ingrown hairs.
- Exfoliating – When doing any form of hair removal, exfoliate the area 2-3 times a week to prepare. You can exfoliate using a sugar scrub or a loofa. We want to cause friction to the skin to remove dead skin cells while leaving the skin ready for re-growth.
- Moisturizing – After exfoliating a HUGE secret is to moisturize the area. Moisturizing in between hair removal appointments will help the hair grow straighter which will help with the hair removal process. Without moisturizing, we find that the skin and hair follicle is too dry making it less likely for the hair grow in healthily.
- Wear loose clothes for your hair removal appointment. One of the main causes of ingrown hair is sweating. When we sweat, bacteria gets into the hair follicle and irritates it. This can cause ingrown hairs. One easy thing you can do is wear loose clothes on the day of your sugaring hair removal appointment and then continue for the next two days thereafter.
- No swimming/sauna/hot showers or intercourse- YES! You read this correctly. After your Sugaring hair removal appointment, we don’t want anything to touch your skin that could irritate the hair follicle. Here’s the thing. Once your hair is removed, you have an open wound technically. Your skin needs to heal and there is a risk for ingrown hairs if swimming in a chlorinated pool or sitting in a sauna that causes you to sweat. Hot showers are not recommended for the first 24 hours either. If you need to bathe, take a lukewarm shower. Intimacy can also cause one to sweat. We suggest waiting for 72 hours.
- Spa treatments for ingrown hairs – Finally, if you’ve been dealing with an ingrown hair to no avail, talk with your sugaring/wax tech. We have in-office treatments that can help with healing the pustules and eliminating the ingrown hairs.
